Plant sterols and stanols (phytosterols) are cholesterol-like compounds from plants that reduce how much cholesterol the gut absorbs. They are added to spreads and other foods and sold as supplements to lower LDL cholesterol, and they carry an FDA-authorized heart health claim.
Also known as: phytosterols, plant stanols, sterol esters, stanol esters, beta-sitosterol.
There is no RDA or upper limit. FDA's heart health claim (21 CFR 101.83) requires a daily total of at least 1.3 g of plant sterol esters or at least 3.4 g of plant stanol esters, eaten in two servings at different times of day with other foods. Check whether a label lists the ester weight or the free sterol weight.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling. Under 21 CFR 101.83, foods with enough plant sterol or stanol esters may say that, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, they may reduce the risk of heart disease. For stanol esters, eligible products include spreads, salad dressings, snack bars and dietary supplements in softgel form.
A 2014 meta-analysis of 124 studies (Ras) found that 0.6 to 3.3 g a day of plant sterols or stanols lowered LDL cholesterol by about 6% to 12% on average, with sterols and stanols working about the same. The effect kept growing up to about 3 g a day, where it averaged 12%; there were too few studies above 4 g a day to pool.
If you take a statin or other cholesterol medicine, tell your prescriber, and keep your usual lipid checks.
Plant sterols and stanols work in the gut by reducing cholesterol absorption (FDA, 21 CFR 101.83 and Ras 2014), so a blood half-life does not describe their effect.
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